Lucas Paquetá’s testimony to the CPI for the Manipulation of Games and Sports Betting was postponed for the second time. The player, who plays for West Ham and the Brazilian team, still does not have a new date set for the hearing.
According to information from Estadão, the athlete’s lawyers claimed that participation was unfeasible this week, but did not detail the reasons.
The justification coincides with West Ham’s schedule, which faces Leicester this Tuesday (03) in the Premier League. The expectation is that Paquetá will be available to coach Julen Lopetegui.
Paquetá’s defense in England
Initially, Paquetá was supposed to be heard on October 30th. After a postponement request was denied by the CPI, a second request was accepted. This request mentioned that the player was focused on preparing his defense for the investigation carried out by the English Football Association (FA).
His defense will be presented in December, four months before a hearing scheduled for March 2025. As a result, the testimony at the CPI was rescheduled for December 3rd. However, on the eve of the date, the player’s name did not appear on the commission’s official agenda.
Instead, this Tuesday’s schedule only includes the following testimonies:
- Gesilea Fonseca Teles, superintendent of Anatel
- Renato Meirelles, president of Instituto Locomotiva, which carries out studies on the sports betting market.
In October, Lucas Paquetá used his social networks to take a stance on the accusations. In the post, he said he was “frustrated and upset” by what he called “misleading and inaccurate press articles” about the case.
“I continue to deny the accusations against me and I am eager to demonstrate my innocence”, wrote the athlete, ending the note firmly.
Small clubs are also in the CPI’s sights
Next Wednesday (04), the CPI will hear Reginaldo Gomes, president of Sociedade Esportiva Belford Roxo, a club in Série B1 of the Carioca Championship. The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police cited the team in an investigation into game manipulation.
The match investigated took place in June, against Nova Cidade. The suspicion arose after a high volume of bets, mainly in Asia, which predicted Nova Cidade to win in the first half and Belford Roxo in the full game. Nova Cidade led 3-1 in the first half, but Belford Roxo turned around and won 5-3.
Last week, Jorge Luiz Pacheco Eloy, president of Nova Cidade, gave a statement. But he denied suspicions of manipulation, attributing the result to the team’s limited physical preparation.
“Unfortunately, the base team does not have competent professionals for the role of physical trainer. They play well in the first half, but in the second they can suffer like what happened to Botafogo”, said Eloy. Director cited Palmeiras’ historic turnaround over Botafogo in 2023 in the final stretch of the Brasileirão.
Therefore, the CPI continues to deepen investigations into the manipulation of results in sport and the impact of sports betting. The supposed involvement of big players, like Paquetá, and smaller clubs reinforces the complexity of the scenario.
Therefore, the expectation is that the next statements will help clarify the allegations and contribute to regulating and monitoring the sector. The case remains in the spotlight in both Brazil and England.
